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Summer Events You Do Not Want To Miss In Italy

Summer Italian Festivals

Italy is one of the places where festival lovers can truly enjoy. During the summer, Italians celebrate various events, especially around July and August. Though these are the hottest months in the area, townspeople and villagers see to it that they immerse themselves into many activities. If you are stressed out from the hustles and bustles of the city, forget about booking for professional carpet cleaning today and plan your next vacation to Italy. Make sure to mark your calendar about these fabulous events.

Festa della Madonna Bruna

In the city of Matera, people gather every second of July to celebrate the Feast of the Madonna della Bruna. The procession begins by parading the patron saint together with statues of herds of sheep and shepherds. The event is a reflection of the mixture of early Catholicism and Paganism of the residents of Matera and considered an irremovable practice among locals. They believe that Madonna Bruna is the protectress of the city, thus their way to say thanks to her is to conduct the festival yearly.

The Festival of Saint Andrew the Apostle

Saint Andrew is well-celebrated in Italy because he was also known as a martyr and a fisherman before becoming an apostle. Many believe that his meekness and devoutness saved the city from pirate invasion during the ancient times. Although the event in honour of Saint Andrew is celebrated before and after the summer of July, it is a festival worth seeing. During the procession, followers flock the streets to witness men dressed in red clothing, carrying the Sant'Andrea silver statue around the city and back to the Amalfi Cathedral.

Palio di Siena

If you think that jousting and other types of classical racing are only done in the UK and Spain, you have to visit Siena and witness the famous Il Palio. The event is also celebrated every second of July to commemorate Madonna of Provenzano. Such races started when the Grand Duke of Tuscany prohibited bullfighting during 1590. There are seventeen contrades, locally known as contradas that compete in Palio di Siena. Some call them the Seventeen Contrade of Siena, which are Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre and Valdimontone. Every year, only ten of these contrades compete with each other and the rest will race the following year, with three to be chosen by sortition. Spectators can expect an experience like no other when watching this event because of the flags and emblems, as well as the atmosphere that feels like the 6th century.

The Festival of Santa Rosalia

According to the locals, there was once a noble woman named Rosalia, who lived in Palermo. She used to be part of the Norman court, but decided to leave her lavish life in exchange for an eremitic life. After many years of monastic living, she died and her bones were then discovered from a cave and taken out on a procession. That time, it has been said that there was a plague taking over the city. The procession was held from 1624 to 1625 and miraculously, the outbreak has stopped. Many believe that it was due to the devotion of Rosalia's soul, thus they have dedicated big festivals for her every tenth until the fifteenth of July. Processions for Saint Rosalia are often accompanied by gigantic floats, musical bands and lots of special foods prepared by the locals.